The following relates generally to a system and method for inspecting mowers and, more particularly, relates to a system and method for allowing a user to visually determine if a mower has a bent engine crankshaft.
Mowers, such as the type described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,095 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, are well known. By way of example and with reference to prior art FIG. 1, known mowers 100 generally include a mower deck 107 defining a first or upper surface 110 to which an engine 106 is attached. The engine 106 is preferably oriented such that the engine crankshaft 104 extends vertically downward into a cutting chamber 109 defined at least in part by the deck 107. A cutting blade 102 is then attached to a lower end 105 of the crankshaft 104 by way of a blade coupler assembly 200. During operation, the crankshaft 104 rotates the blade coupler 200 at a speed sufficient to cause the cutting blade 102 to sever grass that passes beneath the cutting blade 102. In the case where the mower is a self-propelled, walk-behind mower, rotation of the crankshaft 104 may also be used to drive front and/or rear wheels 108 by means of a drive pulley 202, a drive belt 110, and a transmission 111.
When the cutting blade 102 of a mower strikes a stationary object during operation, the impact between the cutting blade 102 and the stationary object may stop the cutting blade 102 at the point of impact, at least for an instant. During this moment of impact the retreating portion of the cutting blade 102 will, however, tend to keep moving forward owing to the kinetic energy stored in the cutting blade 102. Undesirably, the forces associated with the stopping of one portion of the cutting blade 102 and the continued moving of the opposite portion of the cutting blade 102 can cause the crankshaft 104 to bend. Once the crankshaft 104 is bent, continued operation of the mower will typically lead to various of the mower components being further damaged as a result of shear stress forces, vibration, etc.
Presently, to inspect a mower for purposes of determining if the crankshaft is bent, the mower is required to be tilted so that the cutting blade and crankshaft, which are located under the mower deck, become visible. Since a technician that is responsible for tilting the mower typically cannot also see the cutting blade and crankshaft adequately enough to determine if the crankshaft is bent, this process requires the use of a second technician that has the responsibility of observing the cutting blade and crankshaft while the first technician tilts and operates the mower. Thus, it will be appreciated that this currently utilized method for inspecting mowers can be dangerous, e.g., the mower can fall over creating a hazard to nearby associates, can potentially damage the mower, e.g., the mower can be tilted to the wrong side, and is costly and time consuming since it requires the services of at least two technicians.